ZOO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2339, 22 December 1914, Page 9

ZOO NOTES

SOME INTERESTING NEW ARRIVALS. BIRDS FROM SAMOA; (By John Crewes, Member of the Council of the Wellington Zoological Society.) His Worship the Mayor of Wellington and Councillor Frost ; the chairman of fclio Reserves Committee of the Wellington City Council, are busy men; but they both read my "Zoo Notes," and encourage mo to write more of them. Knowing, then, that the notes aro sufficiently interesting to attract the attention of public men occupying high municipal positions, and taking a world-wide interest in publio affairs, I must keep on writing, although the nations of the earth aro passing through a momentous international crisis, and our Dominion lias recently, been convulsed and torn by religious factions and political parties. A New Appearance. "Have you seen the little thar?" the Curator of the Zoo asked, when I met him a few days ago. I confessed that I had not; but lie assured Die that a little one was bom a day or two before: and that it had become blythe and frolicsome and gay, as a young Himalayan goat should in Wellington's bracing breezes and brilliant sunshine.

| j Morepork Owls and Sunshine. _ Some people imagine that owls do not like sunshine; but the guide to the London Zoo. tells us that in the London Zoological Garden ' "the owls have the opportunity of retiring to shelter, but notwithstanding the popular belief, they puss most of the time in full exposure to light, and aro speoially fond-of sunning themselves. This seems natural enough. Of.course, out in the wild the morepork owl, being unable to seo well in, the daytime, seeks a dark hidingmice to repose in, that by tho darkness he tnay be protected from powerful diurnal birds of prey: and also from small birds that would tease, worry, and,torment liim to death if they could only seo to attack him at a disadvantage.' But when owls feel safe, they enjoy sunshine, and 'are bonefited when ii is allowed to them'. A Broken Neok. There are two or three emus in the Zoo, but they-seem to be males. Mr. Langridge would like to get a female to mate with one of the males. Recently a female emu was .offered to him, and I was asked to mention the matter to Mr. Castle, the' treasurer of the Wellington Zoological Society. Mr. Castlo soon saw sufficient money to purchase the bird; and, knowing that our society would jump at the opportunity, authorised Mr. Langridgo to get the emu. The bird was in New Zealand, so there would be no danger of attack by a German cruiser, nor exposure to storm or sudden changes of temperaturo on board ship on the Tasman Sea. A gentleman wio knows well how to manage birds was the owner and would, we folt sure, see it safely placed on board a train at a station not far from here. Then a short journey, and a welcome arrival in tho Zoo, a home of plenty and happiness. So we expected. But when everything seemed so promising, to all concerned, our friend the owner tried to put. the bird into a cage that ho had preparod for her to travel' in, t'he emu broke her neck, and our hope was suddenly plunged into disappointment.

The Crown of the Bird Class. The biggest bird alive in the world to-day is the ostrich, and the oiitrich is represented in our Zoo. Borne persons when they speak of the icing of birds refer to the eagle, and the eagle is represented in the Zoo. But some judges would' coronate the most brainy or the most highly organised bird. These judges would confer the crown upon tbe orow, and, if we might be'allowed to place the Australian piping crows or magpies in this class, I would consent to the crowning of the crow. Iji oiir Zoo two species of Australian crow are represented, and two or three of the birds are very witty and docile. Some persons would place the thrush at the head of the bird world, and mate tho thrush sovereign; but if wit and wisdom must reign tho crow must be crowned. A year or two ago I heard a piping crow give a musical medley that was a wonderful performance. A few days ago I was ia the Zoo and whistled to J bird I oould not see. Immediately the little creature came the whole length of its pen, placed itself close to the front, put one of its feet upon my finger as if to salute me, and then snowed unmistakoably that he wanted me to play with him; and that he preferred the company of man to that of his own kind because of tho greater variety I could put into the amusement. jS ow if scientists will not allow us to classify the streperina or piping crows with the proper crows, young men go■n" f ro El Now Zealand may tell that in tho Wellington Zoo we have sit Jin.y rate Australian birds that'are as clever as crows.

Councillor Tregoar and tho Zoo. A * w not s Peak disrespectfully of Uuncollor Tregear; nor wilM ridicul.j anything that he says; I must theretore allow the speech about tho Weilmgtofli Zoo that he ajlelivered last ihursday evening to pass without much comment by me. 1 will simply say that to an ordinary mortal, such as I am, the Wellington Zoo, embowered aS u- i ls t ' le umbrageous evergreens which surround it, seems more than adequately sheltered, and. that the suggestion tnat the death-rate is", liigii passeth my understanding. I have repeatedly expressed the opinion that outBide of menageries, as withiu Zoos, a large proportion of the members of the animal kingdom die young; and that the death-nite in the Wellington <£oo is very low. The London Zoological bociety' reported last year that the general health of the collection of animals ui the London Zoo had during tho year that had just closed been good; but in the same report it was stated that 'during the past year 1680 animals had died. 1 Now, as the number of invertebrates is not taken into account when the number of animals mentioned in that report is stated, but we are simply told that the number of vertebrate animals living in the society's menagerie at the end'of 1913 was 3973, it is fair to infer that in tho Zoo of 3973 vertebrate animals 1680 died in a yfar. That the number of deaths in our Zoo last year was anything like proportionate to that I, who watched, the Zoo closely, do not believe. Howover, it is gratifying to notice that the speeches delivered by His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Frost, the chairman of the Reserves Committee, and Councillors Hindmarsh, M.P., Fletcher, M.P., Luckie, and Len. M'Keiizie, in reply to Mr. Tregear, were of a high order, worthy of tho City Council, and fairly appreciative of tho Zoo, which I feel sure stands on tho best site occupied by any Zoo in the world. A Great Show for Christmas and New Year. Two shipments of animals have been landed and placed in the Zoo, and this week there will bo on view, if' all be well, several sea lions, and the following ornithological wonders, viz., flightless ducks, a tooth-billed Samoan pigeon (Didunculus strigirostis), a handsome pair of other Samoan pigeons (I presume Carpopliaga paeifiea, or oceanica), and a rail, also from Samoa. When I last saw Councillor Frost he seemed afraid that we should not have^

any striking novelty in the Zoo for Christmas, but our boys of the Amokura, and our wide-awake worldrenowned heroes of Samoa, have blessed us with .treasures that should beautifully adorn with radiant Bmiles the broad, bonign, open countenanoe of the leader of the Zoo's front rank champions, Councillor Frost, the chairman of the Reserves Committee. Tho Mayor* also, who takes a great interest in birds, should be delighted to Geo the handsome Christmas piesent sent to us from Samoa. The bill of the tooth-billed pigeon so closely resembles that of the extinct dodo that the late Sir Richard Oiven wanted to name tho bird Dodlet, intended to be a 'diminutive of Dodo; but except for the resemblance of the bill, the supposed affinity to the Dodo iB said to be in really not very considerable. However, the tooth-billed pigeon has for many years been an extremely interesting bird. A Croat Surprise. On Fridav evening live sea lionß were visible in the Zoo. On Sundav thero iVere six. One of tho females brought by the Amokura had given birth to a pup. This pup, or cub, or calf, should bo a great attraction during the next few weeks. : Now I must eschew party politics, but I am glad to be able to say that, thanks to 'His Excellency the Governor, tho Government of the Dominion, our heroes at Samoa, our Amokura friends, and the hearty co-opera-tion of the Wollingtou City Council, the &oo presents an exhibition that I am proud to commend to the attention of every lover of New Zealand, and here t must add that the Hon.' F. M. B. Fisher, a distinguished member of the Wellington Zoological Soc.ety, has worked nobly, successfully, and worthily to improve the Zoo, and that tho Hon. H. D. Bell has handsomely merit-' ed honourable mention in furthering the gratifying progress that the Zoo is making. My society has received encouraging attention from more than one of our Governments, and from none more gratifying than the help we have received from the present Government, including Mr. Fisher. Coldfinches, or Fishes? On Monday morning it was reported' in The Dominion that the Government of New Zealand had presented to the Zoo twenty-four fan-tailed goldfinches; but when, later, Mr. Castle, the secretary and treasurer of the Wellington Zoological Society, was with me in the Zoological Garden, and we asked to be allowed to see the remarkable goldfinches, we were told that they had not arrived. Now as some of tho readers of my notes may be expected to visit the Zoo in the holidays, I will venture to toll what I think His Excellency the Governor received from our Expeditionary Force that recently took'possession of the Samoan Islands, and on the advice of His Majesty's Ministers for-New Zealand, presented to the Zoo. The valuablo present comprised one toothbilled pigeon, a very interesting bird; two pigeons of a species that has acquired powers for eating fruit, a species very- interesting to ornithologists, and of striking appearance to every lover of pigeons; one pretty little dove, one interesting litt.e rail, and two Java sparrows. I think that for twenty-foud fan-tailed goldfinches we should read forty Japaneso fan-tailed gold fish. The following other remarkably interesting exhibits have recently been presented to the Zoo, most of them, perhaps all, by the Government, viz;, two Tuatara, wonderful animals; four flightless ducks, that the Hon. Mr. Fishe/ - was eager to obtain for the Zoo; several sea lions, somo for safe keeping temporarily, ana others to he stationary. _ One of the females for the Zoo gave birth to a young one Within two days after the mother arrived r in her new-residence. Patriots, philosophers, and pleasure seekers may all find objects to interest them in the now arrivals. Honour the King's representative, as the English people do the King, wheal His Majesty exhibits animals in the London Zoo; let our boys at Samoa know how the joetple of New Zealand appreoiate the Christmas present they sent baok to New Zealand; and enrioh the intellects as well as the hearts of the -hildren of New Zealand, as well as those of their parents, by making a record of the attendance of visitors at the Zoo in the two holiday weeks for which old friends and hew are earnestly longing, and the guardians of the Zoo have beea enabled to make worthy preparation. ;